One Pass, One Came
by Santuario Delle Aquile
Summary: Altair missed them both, Malik and Maria, and he met them in the most unexpected place


One Pass, One Come

_It's his last moment, he knew it. As he sits there, watching the glowing piece of Eden in his grasp, he could practically feel his life ebbing away. But somehow, it's agonizingly slow, like time have decided to torture him, by denying the relief that's surely to come. But all of that does not matter anymore as he took his last breath, and the world around him finally plunged into a blissfull darkness_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Altair opened his eyes, taking in the unfamiliar surrounding. The endless white world is not the place where he's supposed to be, he should be in that dark, cold library. He glanced down, expecting to find the Grand Master robe to greet his vision, but instead, the pure white robe of a master assassins' replaced it. He raised his hand, ravelling in the strong and sturdy finger, calloused after years of scalling walls and handling weapon, of his own. "What in the world have happened? What is this place? And why do I feel as youth have returned upon me...?" he asked himself, but another voice decided to answer the question for him, though the answer barely hit its' mark

"This is the land of the dead, in wich souls return to after they're detached from their body" The familiar voices make him whirl around, eyes wide in disbelieve. And it came wider as he have located the source of voice, a man and a woman.

The woman, wearing the robe of a templars', was smiling to him. Her rich brown front locks was braided on top of her head, the rest of it were flowing down on her back, reaching her thigh_. Maria..._

The man, in his mid twenties, wearing a _djeballa_ that only a dai of the brotherhood could have. The left sleeve have been pinned up, indicating the limb have been cut off, leaving a stump as its' remain. _Malik..._

Seeing them again, after so many years, after how they have been snatched away from his life, bring tears to his eyes, threatening to spill out like rain after years he have held, along with the pent up emotion he have kept all this time, dare not to reveal it to other in fear it could be a weakness.

"Here, our youth are returned to us, and we're able to meet precious people of ours, who passed away before us" Maria spoke up again, looking at Altair with that expression he loved so much, and it brings a pained thud to his heart, a reminder of his love to her, and how he, in his own recklessness, have failed to protect her.

Then, he looked to Malik, who quickly looked away to hide his expression, but failed miserabely. Tears pooled in Malik's eyes, while his lips are curved into a small smile that he tried to held. Altair is planning to tease him about it, but those thought perished when he feel something wet trailed down his cheeks. He reached up and touched the trail, to find that he's crying.

_Ahhh... to hell with my pride_

He ran, and embrace his best friend and lover tightly, his tears flow freely now, as he let out those emotion he have boxed in his heart for a long time. He gave out a choked sob and buried his head on Maria's and Malik's joined shoulder, and he could feel their hands pulling him closer to the hug

"It's okay, my dear, It's all fine now..." Maria whispered, tears also marred her cheeks. She tightened her grip on Altair and leaned on his shoulder, taking in the scent that's uniquely Altair.

"You've gone soft, my friend" Malik laughed, though his voice is also thick with tears, and he sniffled a lot. "W-whose fault do you think it it?!" Altair snapped, though the implication faltered completely due to his stuttering speech. And they just stayed like that for a long while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After their tears have ceased, they just stay like that, savoring the feeling od each other's presence. But then, the white world start to flicker. Altair looked around, tensing up and getting into battle stance, but Malik and Maria just chuckled. Altair looked at them, bewildered

"It's almost time to go" Maria stated. Altair looked at them " to where? I thought we're just going to stay here" Malik laughed out loud "Even though this is the place where you'll go after you died, this is not the place where you'll stay forever, the place of out real destination lay over that gate" with that, he pointed to the said gate, that appeared out of nowhere.

Malik and Maria then walked in front of the gate, turning back and offered their hand to Altair. "Ready?" they asked. Altair looked behind hin, seeing images of the brotherhood making their way to their newly found base, then he saw Darim, training the novices in a field.

_Think they'll be fine without me now..._

Altair then took their hand, giving a last look to his son. And he turn back to his best friend and lover, smiling. "Ready" and they walk into the gate, a brilliant light engulfed them right before the white world turns to black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Venesia, Italia_

_Rich brown eyes watching the perching birds flew away from the tree, leaving a flock of feather to drift down to the earth. A single feather of eagles' landed on the baby's head. The baby cooed slightly and miniature hand reached out to grasp the feather. Giving a look of interest, the baby laughed, oblivious to the world, and to the fate that awaits him._


End file.
